The Algerian government is seeking to conclude its east-west highway project, eastern Algeria by the first half of 2013, a senior official told Zawya.
"The highway project is near completion pending the final eastern section connecting Constantine with Skikda, as it is facing delays due to the rough terrain of the surrounding mountains, which constitute 90% of the region," said Mouloud Kheloufi, president of the General Association of Algerian Contractors (AGEA).
"By 2013, new tenders will be offered to build road-side service stations and rest points along the highway," said Kheloufi.
"The east-west project spreads over an area of 1,720km, with a total cost of USD 11 billion, 95% being built by Algerian companies while a 5% is assigned to international companies, mainly from China and Japan," said Kheloufi.
"The east-west highway project will contribute significantly to alleviating the isolation of the eastern and western provinces, and connecting with the Tunisian and Moroccan borders. The highway will also provide 6,200 jobs and will trigger a rise in real estate prices in the 24 inner provinces," said Ibrahim Bouzeina, an Algerian roads and public utilities expert and general secretary of the Algerian federation of builders.
"The highway will contribute to demographic change and will catalyze tourism in rural areas and flourish their economies. The highway will also play a significant role in linking ports with cities that had been previously isolated, yielding millions of dollars through expansion of trade," said Bouzeina.
© Zawya 2013
